Helicopter Accidents

Year 1971 accidents

Sikorsky S-65 H-53 Accidents

Year	Version	C/N
1971	CH-53C	65-251	68-10922 : USAF; 1551st CCTW w/o 30nov71 hit ground during night
1971	CH-53C	65-258	68-10929 : USAF; 21st SOS w/o 18feb71
1971	CH-53C	65-260	68-10931 : 01mar71 KNIFE 34 with Major Milton H. Ramsey, pilot, and Captain Tijerina, co-pilot, the CH-53C (# 68-10931) departed Nakhon Phanom RTAFB at 0830 to deliver Laotian troops to Lima Site 20 at Sam Thuong in northern Laos. "KNIFE 34" was hit by enemy fire while en route, knocking out one engine, but the crew was able to sustain flight until they reached LS20. "KNIFE 34" crashed on landing, spun right, rolled downhill, flipped and burst into flames. Major Milton Ramsey was a CH-53 pilot serving for the 21st Special Operations Squadron at Nakhon Phanom RTAFB. Both Captain Tijerina and the pilot were killed in the crash. The flight engineers, SSgt G. Pearson and SSgt F. Deck, were able to escape the aircraft and were rescued.
1971	ch-53d	65-164	156660 : w/o 25feb71 HMH-463 /YH
1971	ch-53d	65-171	156667 : w/o 18feb71 HMH-463 /YH
1971	ch-53d	65-249	157149 : w/o 21apr71
1971	hh-53c	65-148	68-8285 : w/o 21jul71, shot down in Laos
1971	hh-53c	65-196	68-10366 : USAF; 37th ARRS w/o 25nov71 near DaNang Vietnam
1971	S-65C-3	65-236	133 : Sikorsky S-65C-3, c/n 65-236 ff?; retained by Sikorsky for testing as N6973R; del IDF/AF as S-65C Yasur 133, Oct69; dived into sea off northern Sinai, near Yamit, 2 crew + 8 pax killed, w/o 08Jul71.
1971	S-65C-3	65-240	141 : Sikorsky S-65C-3, c/n 65-240 ff?; retained by Sikorsky for testing as N6977R; del IDF/AF as S-65C Yasur 141, Jan70; crashed while catching UAV, parachute caught and damaged rotor, crew recovered; w/o 03Sep71.